The Anniversary
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: What If Kerry had met Elizabeth before the surgeon had started work at county.
1. Default Chapter

The Anniversary   
  
Part One  
  
By Aeris Jade Orion  
  
  
  
Rating: R   
  
Pairing: KW/EC, KW/KL   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
Spoilers: Nothing yet. This first part takes place right before the eppy where they introduce Corday for the first time.   
  
  
  
Just a side note but this is totally separate from my other KW/EC stories.   
  
  
  
However later parts will cover everything from the eppy she first appears to season seven, and certain events that takes place there, then...now.   
  
  
  
  
  
THEN - AUTUMN 1997   
  
  
  
  
  
The amber liquid swirled thoughtlessly around the short glass, tiny bubbles popping softly, then sending gentle ripples throughout the surface. The hands that had been called talented, flexible, firm and tender on a number of occasions, varying from work to her personal life, lifted the glass to her dry lips so that she could drain it.   
  
  
  
With a calm purpose she lowered the glass and methodically filled it to an inch below the rim. She gently tapped the bottle's neck on the glass rim, knocking any loose drops off the bottle, then sat it back down. Never once did her hands slip or shake.   
  
  
  
She grinned wryly, toasting an invisible ghost across from her. In one hour and ten minutes it would be fifteen years to the day that she'd become handicapped. Fifteen years to the day when she'd been forced to give up her job as a surgeon. Fifteen years to the day that Richard was killed. Fifteen years to the day when Gabe had gently told her the few options she had left. Quit, private practice, or there was a slim possibility that she might make it in emergency medicine.   
  
  
  
Gabe. Without him she would've bitterly walked... would've bitterly gone the other way. Taken up a job teaching in medical school or something. Instead, she'd bitterly ended up redoing her internship, this time in order for her to switch to emergency medicine.   
  
  
  
She'd never felt so resentful in her life. As a surgeon, she was a genius. She could've gotten any position, at any hospital. Instead, she'd taken the low-paying job as a surgical intern at a hospital on the verge of closing, in some rundown, gang-ruled neighborhood. She thought she could save the world. Africa, South America, Mexico, Cuba... Instead her decision cost her her life.   
  
  
  
"Excuse me..."   
  
  
  
She glanced up at the darker-haired redhead, finally noticing how crowded the dim, smoky bar was. Every table and booth was filled to the brink; she couldn't even see the bar.   
  
  
  
"Do you mind if I join you? There doesn't seem to be anywhere else to sit."   
  
  
  
She didn't want company. Right now she just wanted to drown her thoughts and her feelings. Kerry hardened her facial features, prepared to tell the English woman where she could go sit.   
  
  
  
"I promise you won't even know I'm here." The taller women slipped into the booth without waiting for her okay. "I'm terribly sorry about this, but I just moved here, and my apartment's a mess. With all the unpacking and cleaning and organizing, I'm too tired to cook anything so I'm absolutely famished, but this seems to be the only place within walking distance... Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Elizabeth Corday, and you are?"   
  
  
  
"Kerry Weaver..." Kerry shook off her automatic response. She was supposed to be getting rid of the annoying Brit, not engaging in conversation. Setting her jaw and preparing her 'Chief persona', she was ready to cut into the disturbingly upbeat woman. In an effort to chase her away, she added, "You won't like the food here. It's inedible."   
  
  
  
A sunny smiled filled the woman's aristocratic features. "After growing up on English cooking, I can eat anything," she declared   
  
casually. "Besides, I'm too tired to go searching out any real restaurants, even if I knew which ones were any good. I've only just arrived in America, and I'm still a little overwhelmed by it all..."   
  
  
  
She went on like that for a while, and Kerry sort of half-listened, hearing the voice but not the words. Why did the world see fit to dump this chattering chick on her when she was trying to wallow in self-pity? And why couldn't she just tell her to shut the hell up and go away? There was something strangely fascinating about the woman's incessant good humor, tired and disheveled though she seemed.   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm forgetting all my manners tonight," the Englishwoman said, changing the subject without pausing. "Let me shout you the next round, since I'm impinging on your hospitality. TWO MORE HERE, PLEASE!"   
  
  
  
"Thanks," Kerry replied numbly as she downed her fifth glass. She was desperately trying to ignore the way the tall woman seemed to perk up even more. How that was even possible was beyond her.   
  
  
  
Elizabeth leaned impossibly forward and clasped her hand as she started to chatter again. "Here I am going on about nothing, and I've barely let you get a word in edgewise," she said. "What brings you here, all by yourself?"   
  
  
  
"Just the usual," Kerry replied evasively, "general melancholia, remembrance of times past, that kind of thing. Cheers." She picked up her new drink as soon as it arrived.   
  
  
  
"Newhart," Elizabeth replied, smiling as their glasses clinked.   
  
  
  
"What?"   
  
  
  
"A joke. 'Cheers', 'Newhart'. They're both situation comedies over here, right?"   
  
  
  
"Oh, yeah." Kerry drank, buying herself a moment, but somehow the silly response had held its own, deeper meaning. New heart...   
  
  
  
Kerry found herself on the receiving end of Corday's warm, grey eyes, while they sipped their drinks in momentary silence. At some point, she became aware that Elizabeth's hand was expertly massaging her left hand. It was probably unconscious, but she didn't pull away...   
  
  
  
She nearly jumped as a shoeless foot brushed the inside of her right leg, setting her skin on fire. It must have been accidental, Elizabeth was probably just stretching her legs under the table...or was it deliberate? The other woman's eyes gave no clue...   
  
  
  
Kerry was firmly heterosexual, and had been all her life. The problem was that, between the alcohol she so rarely drank in earnest and her depression over her life, she was desperate for some form of physical release. Whether it was in the form of a fight or in the arms of a lover.   
  
  
  
"It's getting pretty loud in here," her voice, acting against her brain's orders, spoke up. "I live a few blocks from here if you'd like to...?"   
  
  
  
"I'd love to." The surgeon stood expectedly and waited for Kerry to stand up, her eyes passing over the shorter woman's crutch impassively. "I don't suppose we could pick something up to eat on the way..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'What the hell are you doing?' Kerry stared at the bottle of wine nervously. For the last forty minutes, she'd been forcing herself to entertain Elizabeth, and for what? To what end? Because of a come-on she probably imagined. 'Why would someone like her be interested in a bitter, damaged hag who spends her nights alone?' And anyway, even if she was interested, why was Kerry suddenly so open to the possibility?   
  
  
  
Maybe it was because Elizabeth was bright, open, funny, confident, outgoing, ablebodied...everything Kerry was not, but might have been if things had gone just a little differently fifteen years ago.   
  
  
  
She clamped down on those thoughts angrily, picking up the bottle of wine and the two delicate flutes. She limped into the living room, pausing briefly to take in her newest acquaintance. Corday was comfortably folded in the middle of the sofa. Her long legs were tucked up under her, the leather sandals she'd discarded some time ago sitting neatly under the coffee table. The maroon, ankle-length wraparound skirt had fallen open just enough to reveal her bare, olive-skinned legs from her knees down. Her eyes trailed further up to the flimsy, almost see-through white blouse and nearly dropped the flutes. Somehow, during the few minutes she was in the kitchen, the first two buttons had come undone, showing just enough of the surgeon's cleavage to entice.   
  
  
  
Kerry was still harboring doubts; if the British woman was coming onto her, she knew exactly how to do it without coming off like a slut. Each move she made seemed to be carefully thought-out and elegant. Or was it all in her head, and Corday was just always this casual around complete strangers?   
  
  
  
She sat on the sofa next to Corday, handing her one of the flutes. Elizabeth smiled lazily and leaned forward, her left hand   
  
'accidentally' landing on her upper thigh. "I do plan to go looking at cars next week," she was saying, still going on about her transatlantic move, "but I don't look forward to learning how to drive all over again. You know, switching hands, left to right..."   
  
  
  
Kerry was starting to become frustrated with all the dancing around; it was time to lay their cards on the table. Part of her wanted to know if there was a seduction of some sort going on, and part of her just wanted to make her guest get out and let her sob in peace. There was one way to force the issue.   
  
  
  
Ignoring the fear she felt, she sat the wine bottle and her flute on the coffee table, put a hand on Elizabeth's far cheek, turned her face toward her and kissed her square on the mouth.   
  
  
  
It was a clumsy, crude kiss, but it got the woman's attention. When they pulled apart, Elizabeth's eyebrows were raised, and she wasn't speaking. Well, at least I got her to stop talking.   
  
  
  
"Well," Elizabeth said, in a softer, more deliberate tone, "that was unexpected."   
  
  
  
Oh, shit, I've completely misread things, Kerry told herself. Maybe it was for the best; if she came off like some kind of overaggressive butch, maybe Elizabeth would get scared off and leave. "I'm sorry," she said, pulling away.   
  
  
  
A calm hand on her shoulder stopped her before she could stand up. "What for? You didn't break any bones." Elizabeth seemed to ignore her confusion and leaned in, ever so softly brushing their lips together, quickly flicking her tongue over the outside of her lips. She curled up against her visitor and captured her lips.   
  
  
  
She expected lust or animal passion. Sure, she was no great catch, or some beautiful woman who drove people crazy, but this was a woman she'd known less than two hours. Even someone with her limited experience knew to expect nothing but frenzied, meaningless sex from an encounter like this.   
  
  
  
Which was why her entire core was shaken by that one kiss. The sensation of Elizabeth's lips against hers was more tender than anything Richard or Mlungisi had ever managed. Tracing her lips with the tip of her tongue, before using it to pry her lips open and ever so slightly dipping into her mouth.   
  
  
  
Those impeccably soft hands slid under her sweater, over her taut stomach and back, working each knot out caringly. Kerry unbuttoned the thin fabric of Elizabeth's blouse and pushed it off her shoulders, pressing her body tightly against hers.   
  
  
  
Elizabeth moved from her lips to nip at her chin, working her way with painful slowness down the slope of her neck. In a quick flex of her hands, she yanked Kerry's sweater off and dropped it to the floor so she could continue her way to her breasts.   
  
  
  
Kerry found herself pinned back into the sofa, her plain white bra replaced by a warm, wet mouth. Her nerves lit fire as every inch of her small, firm breasts were explored and caressed. She tried to arch up into the mouth, to pull Elizabeth closer.   
  
  
  
Two thighs clamped down on her waist as Elizabeth came up for air and gently traced her face. "We'd be more comfortable in the bedroom."   
  
  
  
Kerry allowed her to pull her up, instinctively reaching for her sweater. She started to put it back on, but stopped at the look on the other woman's face. In her entire life she'd never been able to let herself be vulnerable.   
  
  
  
Kerry dropped the sweater and led Elizabeth into her bedroom. She faltered at the sight of the bed, and a little voice in the back of her mind began to go off. 'I can't do this...'   
  
  
  
Elizabeth sauntered past her, shedding the last of her clothes. Wearing her nakedness with a comfort that made Kerry jealous.   
  
  
  
The surgeon lay back on the bed, draping her body on the dark cotton sheets invitingly. "Are you coming?"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kerry leaned against the counter, watching the thin lines of light dancing across the room as the sun rose. A burning warmth still   
  
consumed her body where, sometime during the night, Corday had possessively latched onto her.   
  
  
  
God, last night. Elizabeth had proven to be the complete opposite of what she'd expected. She'd planned on faking her way through the experience, one she'd figured would last maybe five or ten minutes. Instead, she'd found herself lost in a haze of out-of-control emotions and feelings, so caught up in simply being with Elizabeth that she didn't notice the hours melt away. The loss of control had left her so completely paralyzed that she'd nearly panicked. A panic that was somehow tame compared to the guilt she was feeling.   
  
  
  
A pair of arms circled her waist, and she felt the warm pressure of another body against her back. "Mmmm, good morning," the throaty, velvet voice purred, chin on Kerry's shoulder.   
  
  
  
"Morning," she replied automatically, suddenly feeling underdressed in her bathrobe. "Want some coffee?"   
  
  
  
"Love some, thanks." Elizabeth released her, and she went to the cupboard, removing another mug and filling it from the pot. She turned and handed it to Elizabeth, who wore only one of Richard's old oversized tee shirts, the neckline falling off one shoulder, and the hem covering almost none of her legs. Oh, that woman had legs... "Hope you don't mind," she said, nodding down at the shirt.   
  
  
  
"No, not at all..." Kerry was wondering how to get the woman out the door and out of her life. She wasn't used to one-night-stands, and didn't know how to handle them the next morning. Last night was great, thanks, now get lost?   
  
  
  
Elizabeth drank from the mug with both hands, gazing steadily at Kerry over the rim as she did so. "Mmm, just what the doctor ordered," she said with a smile.   
  
  
  
"How did you know I'm a doctor?" Kerry asked. She was pretty sure that she hadn't told Elizabeth what she did for a living last night, even with all she'd had to drink.   
  
  
  
The British woman's head came up. "You are?"   
  
  
  
"I'm an attending at County General."   
  
  
  
A smile of astonishment and delight broke over Elizabeth's face. "That's amazing! I was referring to myself, but what a coincidence! I'm starting at County today."   
  
  
  
Oh no. "Um, you are...?"   
  
  
  
"Yes. Dr. Romano's sponsoring me for the surgical department. I was delighted to have this opportunity to come to the United States, but I must admit to being somewhat daunted by the prospect..."   
  
  
  
Elizabeth was chattering again, but Kerry didn't hear her. Surgeon. Not just a doctor, she's a fucking surgeon. Just like Kerry herself once was, and still might have been. It had to be some sort of cruel joke on fate's part, it was the only explanation.   
  
  
  
"You have no idea what a relief this is. I've been worried sick about starting a new job and not knowing anyone." She stepped forward and put her arms about Kerry, hugging her. "But it looks like my luck is holding true. First the job offer, then last night, and now this..."   
  
  
  
Kerry's head was bowed, her forehead against Elizabeth's shoulder. Yeah, your luck is running great, she thought, and mine continues to suck. Like the Schwarzenegger-Devito movie, where one twin got all the good stuff, and the other turned out to be a loser...   
  
  
  
"Kerry? Is everything all right?" Elizabeth must have picked up on the fact that Kerry wasn't as happy as she was. Finally.   
  
  
  
Kerry disentangled herself with some effort. "Look, um..." she began. "I don't want to give you the wrong impression. I don't do this sort of thing."   
  
  
  
"What sort of thing?"   
  
  
  
"Take your pick. I don't sleep with people I've picked up in bars. I don't sleep with colleagues. And I don't, REALLY don't sleep with women. Nothing personal, I'm just not gay."   
  
  
  
"Neither am I," Elizabeth replied easily, "just open-minded. Besides, you kissed me, remember?"   
  
  
  
"I know. And that was a mistake. I was drunk, I was depressed...never mind, it's a long story. The point is, I've broken three of my rules at once. This should never have happened!" she finished angrily, turning away to busy herself with dishes in the sink.   
  
  
  
Elizabeth stood there staring at her blankly for a second, then simply left the kitchen.   
  
  
  
Now she was going to have to go to work and face her. What the hell was she thinking last night? 'That's the problem. You weren't...'   
  
  
  
It was a few minutes before she turned to see Elizabeth, fully dressed. "I apologize, Kerry, I didn't mean to cause discomfort." Her voice was cool, but civil. "I'll go now."   
  
  
  
"Elizabeth..." There was something more she wanted to say, but it wouldn't come out. "At work, could we...pretend this never happened? You know, for the sake of working together?"   
  
  
  
She got a nod in response. "If you like."   
  
  
  
"Thank you. Let's just forget this ever happened, all right?"   
  
  
  
A shadow of sadness passed over the other woman's features. "You're welcome to do that," she said, "and I'll respect your wishes. But I have no intention of forgetting it myself. I don't consider anything as enjoyable as last night to be a mistake. It never has to come up again, if you prefer, but I intend to remember it fondly. I hope you can do the same."   
  
  
  
Kerry didn't answer.   
  
  
  
"It was nice to meet you, Kerry." With those words, Elizabeth left the house, closing the door behind her.   
  
  
  
After she was gone, Kerry tried to force the issue out of her mind. Today was the day that documentary crew was supposed to come film Mark working, she remembered, and she was concerned he might not be up to it, the way he'd been acting in the wake of his assault.   
  
  
  
But she couldn't concentrate on that. She was certain a mistake had just been made. But whether it was made last night, or this morning, she couldn't tell... 


	2. Chapter Two

The Anniversary   
  
Part Two  
  
By Aeris Jade Orion  
  
Rating: R   
  
Pairing: KW/KL, EC/KW, MG/EC   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
Spoilers: Season Seven   
  
  
  
  
  
NOW   
  
  
  
  
  
The lounge door banged open violently as Malucci flew backwards through it, landing on his back with a resonating thud that made her wince. His legs, however, were still in motion, causing him to roll backwards and slam into the cabinets.   
  
  
  
He grunted softly, then shook his head in the same manner a dog would. When he stopped his eyes went cross briefly as he grinned up at her sheepishly. "Hey, chief." He cocked his head and scratched behind his ear with a loud sneeze that caused him to crack his head.   
  
  
  
Kerry found herself leaning against the lockers just to keep standing. She was just too tired emotionally. It seemed like she was surrounded by morons of late. Malucci was constantly messing with the nurses, not to mention every human with two breasts. Mark had finally gotten back from New York, but under the circumstances she was only letting him handle minor patients. Benton was not only withdrawn but trying to take a swing at Malucci every chance he could. Luka was acting like some sort of smitten high schooler in love, insisting on continuing Abby's med school education, even though she wasn't insured. Not to mention his almost complete lack of respect for hospital policy, making him another Doug Ross.   
  
  
  
That wasn't even including Kim. It had been two days since the kiss and she'd been doing an excellent job of avoiding Legaspi during that time. Leaving all the psych consults to everyone else, and using Malucci as her personal page, then 'conveniently' disappearing.   
  
  
  
Most importantly, it was that time of year again.   
  
  
  
The red head sighed heavily, for once without any anger at the young man; after all, what was the point? "Malucci..." She paused as a momentary flicker of admiration passed over his face. "...please just...go, do...something useful."   
  
  
  
The brash young man's face turned to concern at the drained tone in her voice. The game of hospital football was forgotten he got to his feet. "Chief, are you okay?"   
  
  
  
Kerry straightened immediately. "Fine, just a little tired."   
  
  
  
"I'll cover your shift if you want to go home..."   
  
  
  
For the first time in over a month Kerry gave him a real smile. Dave reminded her of one of those students who gives his favorite teacher a hard time to get her attention, but when she was sick or hurt he was the first one to want to help. "Malucci..." She stopped, trying to keep the aggravation out of her voice. "Dave. I...appreciate the offer, but it's an attending shift. Besides I have a ton of paperwork I have to get done..."   
  
  
  
Dave eyed the pile of charts and papers sitting on the nearby table with disgust. Then, with a quick nod that seemed to signal some sort of internal decision, he grabbed the pile and raced toward the door. "I'll do it..."   
  
  
  
"Malucci, NO!!! MALUCCI, GET BACK HERE NOW...!!!!" Kerry surged forward, prepared to go after him and inflict some serious pain on the young man. Maybe she could tie him down to a trauma table and let that new med student James 'All-Thumbs' Wilson practice on him.   
  
  
  
She managed to make it out into the hall, barely ducking as a chair went sailing out of the nearby trauma room, Carter following it, a bin of trash breaking his fall. He stood up, swaying slightly, then took a shaky step back towards the trauma room.   
  
  
  
"Carter, What the hell's going on in there?"   
  
  
  
Carter stopped, grateful for some excuse not to go back in there. He kept quiet until Kerry was right next to him, to buy himself some time. "26-year-old male with a head trauma. He woke up about five minutes ago saying that he's Wolverine of the X-Men."   
  
  
  
"Great." She pinched the bridge of her nose.   
  
  
  
"I was about to call security..." Carter was saying.   
  
  
  
"No. I've got it covered," Kerry replied. She turned to the nearest nurses' cart and picked up an unused bedpan in her left hand and holding it, hidden, behind her back. Then, spinning on her heel, she marched angrily into the trauma room, ignoring Carter's stammered warnings.   
  
  
  
Inside, she found Elizabeth, Malik and Lily nervously edging away from a large, unshaven misanthrope wearing an 'X-Men' movie tee shirt. The knife he'd somehow snuck in was cutting through the air at anyone that came near him.   
  
  
  
She knew she should talk to him, she should try to calm him down. But she narrowed her eyes, unable to stop the overflow of extreme rage. All month people had been screwing with her, with her carefully sculpted plans. Well, she'd had it; the aggravation she felt toward Malucci was now directed at the young man growling and slashing at her colleagues. No more Dr. Nice Gal.   
  
  
  
"Hey, Wolvie!" she snapped, instantly becoming the focus of his attention. "Batgirl's on the phone, and she says she could kick your ass."   
  
  
  
He took a step back, staring at her in surprise, then quickly regaining his composure and diving at her in an animalistic manner. She ground her teeth, keeping a cold hand on her emotions and feeding off the adrenalin.   
  
  
  
With a neat sidestep, she brought her crutch up deliberately, expertly tripping him and sending him crashing into a row of instrument tables with the flair of a bullfighter wielding a red cape. Then, pivoting smartly, she brought the bedpan down squarely on his head with a KLONG! that could be heard throughout the ER.   
  
  
  
"Just be glad it was empty," she told him with a soft growl, watching with grim satisfaction as he slumped to the floor, unconscious. Ignoring the stunned statements of the others, she limped out of the room, leaving them to clean up the mess.   
  
  
  
That was dumb, she told herself. She could've been seriously hurt, and she'd probably aggravated his head trauma. She crossed the line in there, but it felt good to vent. It always felt good to vent this time of year, but then the guilt would set in. 'I shouldn't have come in today.' She entered the empty lounge and sank into a chair, trying to get some semblance of control.   
  
  
  
She was dimly aware of a pain in her left arm and glanced down at it, unseeing. There was a slit in her now-red sleeve and a small puddle of blood was starting to gather on the table. Oh shit.   
  
  
  
"Great." She reached into her pocket, searching for something she could use to stop the bleeding. She'd been so angry she hadn't even realized he got her with that first swipe. The pain was starting to flare now, but she could still move her fingers, so it couldn't be too bad.   
  
  
  
"Here, let me..." Elizabeth pulled up a chair next to her, sitting a tray of supplies on the table. With hands that seemed all too familiar for comfort, she helped Kerry remove her arm from the tattered sleeve. "So? Are you going to tell me what that was all about in there?"   
  
  
  
"I disarmed him."   
  
  
  
Elizabeth glanced up at her levelly as she finished cleaning the wound. "Bull. You were playing with him." She began to bandage the wound, her voice becoming gentle. "Do you really think I haven't noticed?"   
  
  
  
"Noticed what? My bad temper?"   
  
  
  
The surgeon ignored her, keeping a firm hold on her injured arm. "Every year around this time you become increasingly depressed, and you spend hours in that bar. Don't bother to deny it because every year I go in there, and you're always sitting in the back booth with a bottle of spirit."   
  
  
  
Kerry stiffened and tried to pull her arm away. How dare this woman sit here and question her? How dare she try to force her way into something that wasn't her business?   
  
  
  
The surgeon locked a penetrating gaze on her, not relenting her hold. Her left hand took Kerry's in a soft caress.   
  
  
  
"Fine. You want to know what's wrong? I had a...disagreement with one of my close friends." There. It wasn't the truth but it wasn't a lie. Kim was her friend, she could even be called a close friend, and they did have a disagreement.   
  
  
  
"Really?" Elizabeth's eyebrow arched, but she seemed otherwise unsurprised. "It must have been some disagreement."   
  
  
  
Kerry just nodded.   
  
  
  
"Would that be a polite way of saying 'lover's quarrel' by any chance?"   
  
  
  
The question was delivered with polite casualness, but it just made Kerry scowl deeper. Damn Elizabeth and her way of seeing through Kerry's smokescreens.   
  
  
  
"This friend...anyone I know?"   
  
  
  
Kerry pursed her lips, trying to decide what to do. If she lied now, she had no doubt that Elizabeth would see right through it, and then she would start to interrogate her. "Kim."   
  
  
  
"Legaspi?"   
  
  
  
Kerry realized her mistake at the sharp tone that violently broke the silence. She honestly didn't know that the surgeon would react so strongly to the name. "Yes."   
  
  
  
"I...didn't realize you two were friends," the surgeon replied with a forced casualness. But her calm smile had vanished, and she seemed to have developed trouble meeting Kerry's gaze.   
  
  
  
Kerry laid her right hand over the hand clasping her left hand possessively, rubbing her thumb over the smooth skin before prying it away. "We...met a few months back at that medical convention that Robert insisted I attend."   
  
  
  
"So are you two...? Are you dating?"   
  
  
  
Kerry glared at the other woman. She did not want to have to listen to this. First from Kim, then from her dreams, and now from...from...from her. She clutched her knee. This was the last thing she needed. "That's none of your business."   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry. I only ask because I understand she's gay."   
  
  
  
"She is," Kerry replied. "I'm not."   
  
  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you've never been with another woman, either..." Elizabeth paused, studying her reaction. Her insinuation was clear.   
  
  
  
"How dare you...!" Kerry hissed at the surgeon. With a surge of energy she grabbed her crutch, shaking off the hand that reached for her arm.   
  
  
  
"Kerry..."   
  
  
  
She left the lounge quickly and threw herself into the bustle around her.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She shut her locker, thankful that the day was finally over. It had taken great effort but she managed to avoid Elizabeth. The problem was that, in avoiding both Elizabeth and Kim, she was being pulled impossibly in both directions.   
  
  
  
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" came another familiar voice. Great, now she'd failed to avoid the other one.   
  
  
  
'Here we go...' "That depends. Do you mean my decking that bastard with the knife or my kissing a friend I know is straight? Oh, wait, I'm sorry, that second one was you, not me."   
  
  
  
Kim held her gaze with no sign of backing down. "That was uncalled-for. I made a mistake and I'm sorry. But you blatantly assaulted a patient, a patient that wanted to call the police on you."   
  
  
  
"Good. I hope he does. I'll hit him with assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder." At least if she was in jail she wouldn't have to deal with the two women that seemed so bent on turning her world upside down.   
  
  
  
"I said he wanted to. I managed to talk him out of it... Why didn't you call for security?"   
  
  
  
Kerry snickered. "In this place? Are you kidding?"   
  
  
  
"Damn it, Kerry..." Kim broke off, looking honestly hurt.   
  
  
  
Something in her reaction touched Kerry deeply. She looked at Kim for the first time since they met, really looked at her. No blinders, no fake emotions, no denial. She was beautiful. Body and soul. Kim was a bright, talented, skilled doctor that made her feel alive. "You're really worried, aren't you?" she asked in surprise.   
  
  
  
"He had a knife, Kerry. You could have been hurt. You WERE hurt."   
  
  
  
"Just a couple of stitches. I'll be fine..."   
  
  
  
"And you don't even care. Why do you value yourself so little?" There were tears in Kim's eyes.   
  
  
  
Somehow she found herself standing right in front of Kim, her hand tracing the outline of the younger woman's jaw. The confusion was plain on Kim's face as she gripped the back of her neck. She wanted to let go, of her masks, her heart, and her control.   
  
  
  
"You're so beautiful..." she muttered to herself.   
  
  
  
In a moment of complete surrender she kissed her, holding the blonde doctor in her arms until she could feel Kim's body shaking against hers.   
  
  
  
She reluctantly broke the kiss and whispered against her lips, "Have dinner with me."   
  
  
  
Kim looked like she wanted to agree, but hesitated.   
  
  
  
"Call us whatever you want. Friends, lovers... Please, Kim, I just want to be with you tonight." Especially tonight.   
  
  
  
A smile traced Kim's lips. "Yes," she whispered. 


	3. Chapter Three

The Anniversary   
  
Part Three  
  
By Aeris Jade Orion  
  
Rating: R   
  
Pairing: KW/KL, KW/EC   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't want them *steps over to the side while looking up nervously *.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She stood in the doorway searching for the woman she knew had to be there. She was supposed to be home with her fiancee right now, but the need to apologize for what happened earlier was too much to simply ignore.   
  
  
  
She could have handled the situation better, but her desperate need to get beneath that hard surface had taken control. It wasn't just curiosity or even concern. There was a basic need to understand what had transpired between them a few years earlier. Some need to know what could haunt her one day every year.   
  
  
  
At first she couldn't have cared. Yes, it was an incredible experience. Yes, she didn't like the idea of walking away. But she   
  
believed that, despite what Kerry had said, the doctor had intentionally used her for a one-night stand. At first.   
  
  
  
After working with Kerry she slowly came to know that she was anything but a liar. The doctor was highly honorable and totally professional. She'd become increasingly intrigued as days turned into weeks. Now she had to fix their already shaky friendship.   
  
  
  
The shadows in the back were hiding Kerry's usual booth. With no other choice she started to push her way through the crowd, begging apologies as she went. She lifted up on her toes, trying to catch some sight of her friend.   
  
  
  
A large man shifted to the right, giving her a clear view of the booth. She smiled with relief as the familiar head of red hair appeared. Kerry was talking quietly to someone across from her. Elizabeth craned her neck and froze, the smile fading at the sight of Kim Legaspi.   
  
  
  
'They're only friends, just go over there, say you're sorry and leave...' The surgeon started to close the distance, again feeling   
  
slightly better about the situation.   
  
  
  
Kerry seemed to shift forward and shyly clasped Legaspi's outstretched hand. The blonde doctor smiled and tenderly raised Kerry's hand, kissing the palm.   
  
  
  
Elizabeth snapped her head around waiting for Kerry to slap her. The red head blushed and...ducked her head, before saying something softly.   
  
  
  
The man who'd moved out of her view bumped into her, pushing further into the crowd. She allowed it to happen since it was also pushing her out of their sight. With a numb shock, she watched them leave, intimately leaning into each other and talking.   
  
  
  
'She said she didn't like women,' Elizabeth thought. 'I guess what she meant is she didn't like me...'   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...I never told her how incredible that one night was. I wouldn't even admit it to myself."   
  
  
  
"Why?"   
  
  
  
"If I had... it would've meant letting her in." She had let Richard in and he had died in her arms. His blood staining her clothes and skin, splattered across her face and in her hair. "Everyone I let in dies."   
  
  
  
"Is that why you push your colleagues away?"   
  
  
  
"I was a child prodigy. By the time I was 13 I had graduated high school and started collage. I went to the best schools on scholarships, got offered the best opportunities. I was only 21 when I finished my surgical residency. I continued working in Africa, leaving the modern, more comfortable hospital for a rundown clinic working for practically nothing. The hours were inhuman, the conditions unbearable. I lived in a small room that only held a cheap cot and a single trunk.   
  
  
  
"That's where I met Richard. He was... the most selfless man I'd ever met. He had no money, wasn't very handsome..." She laughed softly. "Hell, he wasn't even cute. He had this horrible mane of thick, shaggy, mud-colored hair, and the most pitiful brown eyes. He wasn't lean, or well built, just average. He laughed like a drunk horse, and cried if he couldn't save a patient. Sometimes at night you could hear him sobbing over the conditions of the nearby villages, over the treatment of the armies against the people, even over a child losing a toe or finger.   
  
  
  
"He treated every woman he met like a queen. Fat, thin, gorgeous, average, it didn't matter to him. He was always getting the door, or wanting to carry what ever she had in her arms. And the way he dressed... God, I don't think he owned one piece of clothing that fit him. He would walk around in shirts that had sleeves that hang down six inches past his fingers. His pants were always trying to fall off and his belts would be pulled so tight that the excess length would wrap completely around his waist. That's not even going into the state of them. There were buttons missing from his shirts, holes and worn places, stains that he couldn't get out...   
  
  
  
"He was also the most quiet-spoken man I've ever known. He would just sit there with this private little grin on his face, just... listening. He was always listening. In a fight he would just take whatever was being dished out, not once trying to defend himself. He dropped out of high school three times, failed almost every grade, and just barely managed to make it into a community college. It took him eight years to get through med school, and...I loved him."   
  
  
  
She snuggled closer to the warm body, finding some measure of comfort in those arms. She was grateful when Kim didn't push her into continuing.   
  
  
  
"We were married less than three months later. For the next two years we worked in clinics, and hiked into remote villages. His depression got worse and I realized that if we didn't get out it would destroy him. When Memorial in Brooklyn offered me a job I jumped on it. Richard hated it because that meant working under a sponsor since I was an African citizen. It was fine at first, despite my demotion.   
  
  
  
"Then, the night before our anniversary...we were both called into work. We'd both been working double shifts over the last two weeks and were nearly dead. We worked for hours on end without any type of break. It was sometime in the early morning on our anniversary when we were able to go home. He was asleep the second he sat in the passenger seat. I knew I wasn't in any condition to drive. I knew we should have hailed a taxi or taken the subway, but we were both so tired and it was only a ten-minute drive to our apartment."   
  
  
  
"We were about a block away when I fell asleep behind the wheel, we went through a red light and into a semi... A pole went through Richard's chest, he died in my arms.... My leg and hip was shattered, there was nerve damage to my hands."   
  
  
  
"You blame yourself."   
  
  
  
"If I hadn't insisted on us taking jobs at a hospital that was so understaffed we won't have had to work so many shifts. If I had   
  
insisted we take a taxi instead.... I lost the man I loved, my career..."   
  
  
  
The tears that she'd denied for so many years ran freely and she made no attempt to stop them, giving into the need to let go of her demons even if it was for only one night. It was the sight of Kim staring at her, sharing her pain, in the moonlight that snapped the last string that was holding her back.   
  
  
  
She reached out and kissed her, pushing Kim back onto the bed. She was tired of being afraid to live and from now on that was what she was going to do, live.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Good morning, everyone. Isn't it a glorious morning?"   
  
  
  
The lounge went quiet as Kerry literally radiated joy, a bright grin plastered to her face.   
  
  
  
John chuckled at the change in his friend, besides her mood was always so contagious. "Well, someone's in a good mood this morning. You get a new stereo system?"   
  
  
  
"Trust me. What I woke up to this morning was a whole lot more... exhilarating than music." Kerry winked at him as she opened her locker and put her stuff inside.   
  
  
  
"Oh really? Anyone we know?"   
  
  
  
Kerry studied Mark for a second, trying to decide if that was a question she wanted to answer. Last night had been incredible, she had given herself over to Kim completely. Allowing herself a small measure of peace that she hadn't had since Richard had died. It may not have been much, but it was all she could give. She would never be able to totally forgive herself for the accident, but she could begin the slow process of accepting it, and hopefully one day healing.   
  
  
  
Now, looking at the people she'd worked side by side with for the last five years of her life, she had a decision to make. Should she keep them locked out, or stop running scared and let them in? It wasn't about them knowing who she was dating, they would find out anyway. It was simply a question of if they found out from her, or through the rumor mill.   
  
  
  
"Mmm hmmm, Kim." She closed her locker and leaned against it lazily, her fingertips brushing up the lockers as though they were a lover.   
  
  
  
"Dr. Weaver? You've got a delivery..." Randi hesitated in the doorway with the long, thin white box in her arms, eyeing the shocked group. Taking in the twinkle in Weaver's eyes she decided to risk it and came in far enough to give the box to her.   
  
  
  
'Kim must be the last romantic left in the world...' She dropped the box on the table, opening it to reveal...a dozen envy's.   
  
  
  
The joy she'd felt vanished utterly, replaced by shock. 'Oh God, Richard...'   
  
  
  
Recovering her composure, she glared death at the poor desk clerk who was trying to get a glance into the box. "Who sent these?"   
  
  
  
"I don't know. They came last night after you'd left..."   
  
  
  
'Calm down. It's probably just a coincidence...' With shaking hands she picked up the envelope lying among the stems and opened it. The words hitting her like a knife through her heart.   
  
  
  
'Why now?' 


	4. Chapter Four

The Anniversary   
  
Part Four  
  
By Aeris Jade Orion  
  
aerisjade@worldnet.att.net   
  
Rating: R   
  
Timeline: Last seen new episode   
  
Spoilers: yes, yes, and yes   
  
Pairing: KW/KL, KW/EC, EC/MG   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to Warner Bros.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The dark grey sky was cloudless, seeming to stretch on forever. The rainfall was a steady beat against the dark Mercedes parked nearby. The grass was a lush candy green, impeccably cut and fertilized. A loud crack from above the dark blue tent brought her eyes up to see a thin line of silver slash through the sky.   
  
  
  
"...father, the son, the holy ghost. Amen."   
  
  
  
Across the blue casket was a brown-haired woman about her age, staring steadily at her. She couldn't read anything in her statement as those bloodshot eyes drilled into hers. She gripped the black cane, missing the comfort of her crutch. 'Why did I have to leave it in the room?'   
  
  
  
"Ready?"   
  
  
  
Kerry glanced over at her lover in surprise, having finally become aware that everyone had left. She found herself smiling sadly at Kim as the blonde held out her hand to help her up. If it had been anyone else, she would've been insulted. Anyone but Kim. Kim had a manner about her that made her feel that something as simple as getting the door for her was done out of respect.   
  
  
  
"I thought we could stop for something to eat before we start back."   
  
  
  
Kerry nodded absently as they started to climb into the black Mercedes. As long as they put a good twenty miles between them and this cemetery, she didn't really care.   
  
  
  
"Kerry..."   
  
  
  
'No.' She faltered as that voice cut through her carefully masked feelings. She gripped the armrest of the half-opened door and stared at the last person she wanted to talk to.   
  
  
  
"Kerry, I..." The dark-haired woman trailed off awkwardly. "I just wanted you to know that I never blamed you."   
  
  
  
She fought against the immediate flood of fear and guilt. She didn't want to be forgiven, she didn't deserve redemption.   
  
  
  
"Mom never really understood that it wasn't your fault. She needed someone to blame."   
  
  
  
Kerry ground her teeth, wondering ideally why she was being forced to listen to this. "It was my fault. If I hadn't been driving..."   
  
  
  
"He would still be dead. The other driver was drunk, the traffic light was broken. It was an intersection that had been responsible for numerous accidents. Nothing you could've done could've changed things."   
  
  
  
All the ghosts over the years seemed to intensify in her heart at the matter of fact tone in her sister-in-law's voice. In all the years since his death, neither Bobbi nor her mother-in-law had given her the slightest hint of understanding or forgiveness.   
  
  
  
"I've lost both my brother, and now both of my parents, I don't want to have to lose my sister too."   
  
  
  
She felt the last stone crack under that soft plea, and stood up. Bobbi was in her arms before she could take more than a step from the car, breaking down in her arms. The tears falling bitterly, for all the family members they'd lost, and the one's they nearly lost.   
  
  
  
  
  
Two Months Later   
  
  
  
  
  
"So?"   
  
  
  
Kerry glared over her chart at her lover. The tall blonde had been absolutely ecstatic since making peace with Bobbi. She'd been the one to suggest they invite her over for dinner next month, when Bobbi would be in town for a business convention. She'd also gently suggested that she might want to consider having a talk with Corday.   
  
  
  
"So, Bobbi said yes, and her daughter is staying with me for a few weeks."   
  
  
  
She went back to her chart, knowing without a doubt that Kim was giving her a look. She had been avoiding the whole Corday issue since the night they'd meet.   
  
  
  
"And?"   
  
  
  
"And what?"   
  
  
  
Kim playfully tugged the chart from her hands and dropped it on the lounge table. "And...what have you done about Corday?"   
  
  
  
Kerry reached over, taking the chart back. She did not want to be talking about this. "Nothing."   
  
  
  
"Kerry...."   
  
  
  
"Don't 'Kerry' me. I do not have any issues with her." She cleared her throat and went back to the chart, not seeing the writing, but the disbelieving look on Kim's face. She didn't really believe what she just said, she knew there was no truth in it. Every time she and Elizabeth saw each other there was a deep hurt there, even if momentary. They'd both gone through the motions of laughing, talking, and working together, but there was still that underlying emotion that one night of passion had produced.   
  
  
  
"You don't really believe that." Kim's voice became softer, gentler, lulling. It was what she did when she was angry, upset, or even trying to make someone stubborn see her point. "You can't keep letting this brew. It will only serve to make things more difficult for you."   
  
  
  
She glanced up at those blue eyes and felt her resolve melting. When she got that concerned passion in her eyes there was no turning her back on her. "This isn't a good time. With Mark's strange behavior since his tumor was removed, and her pregnancy..." She shook her head violently, there was no way she was putting herself into the crossfire. "In a few months, when they've both had time to settle, then I'll think about it."   
  
  
  
She dropped her eyes as she realized that neither woman had missed the 'think about it.' The quiet "hmm" from Kim only proved that.   
  
  
  
"I'd better get going. I'm supposed to meet Christy for coffee in a few minutes."   
  
  
  
Kerry leaned back watching her lover's lean body gracefully leave. She regretted her inability to get past her awkward feelings of public affection, but even now, she just couldn't bring herself to do much more than give her arm a squeeze. Then again, that was who she was.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She felt, rather than saw, Kim. She ignored her, though, after the stunt she'd pulled earlier, she was the last person she wanted to see. Ambushing her like that, forcing her into agreeing to dinner with that...that...bimbo. If Kim thought she was going to get away with treating her like that then she'd be sleeping alone for the next week. The worst of it had been Malucci.   
  
  
  
Every time she thought he couldn't get any more stupid he just had to prove her wrong. They'd been openly dating for two and a half months. She'd openly announced to half the staff that her lover was Kim, and he still had no clue.   
  
  
  
Waltzing up to her and saying he'd heard Kim was gay. Okay, she could handle that little statement of idiocy. However, when he began asking if another women was Kim's girlfriend, and then starts saying how he wishes he could go to 'that little party...' It was just too much, even for someone as infinitely patient as her.   
  
  
  
"How dare you! Damn it, Kerry! They sawed off half his skull, then they inserted high dosage chemotherapy waters into the empty cavity..."   
  
  
  
She sighed mentally as Corday charged in front of her by the admittance desk. She had never seen the surgeon so out of sorts. Her olive skin was now tinted purple red. Even her voice was strained to its limit. The woman standing in front of her was in love and standing up for her mate, and that scared her more than she'd ever care to admit.   
  
  
  
"Hello Elizabeth, how are you?"   
  
  
  
The surgeon's skin seemed to darken even more at her calmness. The hurt that had been between them seemed to become a pliable thing, driving Elizabeth's anger and her calmness. "...It caused temporary swelling right next to Broca's. Of course he's has a little aphasia. But that was six weeks ago. The swelling's gone down and he's back to normal now! If anything, I find his honesty rather refreshing. We could all do with a little more candor around here."   
  
  
  
She felt her heart stop. Both of them knowing exactly what she was talking about. She managed to smile with an understanding that she wasn't feeling at the moment. "Candidly speaking, then, are you sure that you can be objective about this?"   
  
  
  
"Of course I'm not objective!" The surgeon trailed off for a second, struggling to get control over her rage. Striking out was not going to help anyone. "Look, I've been with him every moment and I can tell you he's making remarkable progress and is no danger to anyone, except perhaps easily threatened minor demigods!"   
  
  
  
"He may be endangering patients." She followed Elizabeth's sudden shift of attention to see Kim sliding around the corner of the admittance desk. She threw a quick glare at her lover, telling her to stay out of it. She needed to deal with this herself if she was going to keep her authority defined. "I'm not unsympathetic to his circumstances, but I have larger responsibilities."   
  
  
  
"It's despicable and you should be ashamed of yourself. I hope that you end up with a possibly fatal illness one day, Kerry, so that I can do absolutely nothing to help you."   
  
  
  
She stared in shock at the surgeon, ignoring the small glimmer of regret that flickered across her face. Hormones, love, what ever had driven the surgeon to this, she would never be able to fully forget what she'd just said.   
  
  
  
Elizabeth took a step back then quickly left, leaving her feeling shaken. She'd never expected something like that from Corday.   
  
"What was that about?"   
  
  
  
"Uh...some days I really hate this job." She was more than aware that this only proved what Kim had been saying, but right now, she wasn't about to give either woman the satisfaction.   
  
  
  
"Well, you, me and everyone else around here. Are you ready?"   
  
  
  
Ready? She searched her mind for some clue as to what she was talking about, but the last hour had only served to send her mind into chaos. She had found herself thinking about just taking off, no warning, for two weeks. Maybe go to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Alaska. Just as long as she got away from all of this.   
  
  
  
"Dinner?"   
  
  
  
"Right. Yes. I just have to, uh, drop this off." 'Don't follow me, don't follow me... She's following me...' She growled softly and thrust the offending chart into Carter's arms. He could handle it. Right now she had to figure out how to get out of dinner without killing someone.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I blew it."   
  
  
  
"No you didn't."   
  
  
  
She glared over at the raven-haired pixie. "I don't recall asking you."   
  
  
  
"That's because you didn't." The teenager hopped onto the island with a wicked grin. "So you had a fight, it's no biggie. In a couple of hours you'll kiss and make up. Besides, that's the best part..."   
  
  
  
"Jessie..."   
  
  
  
The teen smirked at the warning tone in her aunt's voice. Even after a few months of having the love bug, she still let people know who was boss. "Oh come on, are you telling me that it isn't?"   
  
  
  
She sank back in her chair with a dreamy little smile as she remembered the argument her and Kim had two weeks earlier. It was incredibly stupid. She'd wanted to go to Delany's for dinner and Kim had wanted to try out that new restaurant. But Jessie was right the fight was worth it, if only for their making up.   
  
  
  
"See. Now I want you to go find her and make up. Right now."   
  
  
  
She cast an exasperated look at her niece. How was it that Bobbi's daughter ended up with her stubbornness? The mischievous pixie jumped off the island and shooed her towards the front door.   
  
  
  
"Will you go already? Or do I have to call her myself?"   
  
  
  
"All right, all right. I'm going..." 


End file.
